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Have a coffee with us
The Bookkeepers Alliance is committed to promoting a strong sense of community with bookkeepers from across the UK. When we work together amazing things can happen and that's one of the primary reasons we exist.
One way we do this is through our regular Coffee Clubs across the UK.
What are Coffee Clubs? Sometimes, being a bookkeeper is lonely. The Bookkeepers Alliance has an active facebook group, but there's just no substitute for having a face to face chat with others who are in a similar posit…
One way we do this is through our regular Coffee Clubs across the UK.
What are Coffee Clubs? Sometimes, being a bookkeeper is lonely. The Bookkeepers Alliance has an active facebook group, but there's just no substitute for having a face to face chat with others who are in a similar posit…
The Broken Model
Bookkeepers and accountants are two of only a small number of professions still stick with the broken model of charging by the hour. Before you take offence at my comment, let me explain why I think the model is broken, and how we can learn from other sectors.
If we go back 10 years, almost every bookkeeper and accountant was charging by the hour. It was always done that way and it was easy. Pretty much everyone also used Sage. Things have changed in our profession though, and problems have st…
If we go back 10 years, almost every bookkeeper and accountant was charging by the hour. It was always done that way and it was easy. Pretty much everyone also used Sage. Things have changed in our profession though, and problems have st…
Pre-registration Input Tax
Doing the first VAT Return for a Client? Yes! Then make sure you claim pre-registration input tax.
This is a statutory right, under VAT Regulation 111, and you can find out more in VAT Notice 700, chapter 11.
The claim for pre-registration input tax can include services purchased up to 6 months before registration, and goods purchased up to 4 years before registration, as long as those goods are on hand at the date of registration. Do prepare a simple schedule of the goods. And make sure you have …
This is a statutory right, under VAT Regulation 111, and you can find out more in VAT Notice 700, chapter 11.
The claim for pre-registration input tax can include services purchased up to 6 months before registration, and goods purchased up to 4 years before registration, as long as those goods are on hand at the date of registration. Do prepare a simple schedule of the goods. And make sure you have …
7 Top Tips To Save You Time Every Day
It can be hard to keep on top of everything when running a bookkeeping business. You are constantly juggling client work, marketing, invoicing, networking, responding to emails, client meetings…. the list is endless.
Running a business is even harder if you are juggling other responsibilities. You may be caring for children or elderly relatives, dealing with health issues or holding down a job until you can leave to focus solely on your business. As a business owner, your time really is precious …
Running a business is even harder if you are juggling other responsibilities. You may be caring for children or elderly relatives, dealing with health issues or holding down a job until you can leave to focus solely on your business. As a business owner, your time really is precious …
How Automated Are You?
Automation is a bit of a hot topic in the bookkeeping world at the moment, but what does it actually mean and what does it mean for your business?
What is automation?
At it’s core, it’s really just systemising how tasks are carried out, often using software to replace some of the human time and effort needed. Many bookkeepers, including me, use it as a way of reducing time spent on data entry so we can focus on client relationships and business growth. For me it’s about using my time wisely and …Deregistration for VAT
The process of deregistration is as important as that for registration. Errors can be expensive, but there may be some VAT savings to be achieved with careful planning.
Where a business ceases to make taxable supplies, it is required to notify HMRC within 30 days, and has to deregister immediately.
A business can voluntarily deregister at any time if it expects its taxable turnover in the following 12 months to be below £83,000 (the deregistration threshold is always lower than the registration t…
Where a business ceases to make taxable supplies, it is required to notify HMRC within 30 days, and has to deregister immediately.
A business can voluntarily deregister at any time if it expects its taxable turnover in the following 12 months to be below £83,000 (the deregistration threshold is always lower than the registration t…
Interview With Emma James
We recently caught up with one of our award winning bookkeeping members, Emma James, and found out a bit about her business and her journey.
Tell us a bit about your practice
On the 1st of September I'll be 2 years old. It's just me at the moment, but that could change. I mainly work with remote clients. I have a few on site, but I'm only taking on new remote clients in the future.
I only work with Xero, and I’m focused on very, very small businesses. I feel that the term SME is too wide so I…
Five Things We Learned From The Apprentice This Week
While The Apprentice is popular entertainment viewing there are also a few simple business lessons we can learn from each episode.
Last week we saw each team make and sell doughnuts. There are a number of key business Tasks at play with in this episode. Pricing, costs, understanding margins and delivering on promises were all important, and lessons we can learn.
Pricing
£5 doughnuts may seem extravagant, but it shows that market rates are not really as fixed as we lead ourselves to believe. If…
Last week we saw each team make and sell doughnuts. There are a number of key business Tasks at play with in this episode. Pricing, costs, understanding margins and delivering on promises were all important, and lessons we can learn.
Pricing
£5 doughnuts may seem extravagant, but it shows that market rates are not really as fixed as we lead ourselves to believe. If…
Clocks Go Back For HMRC
HMRC have admitted that software and coding glitches mean that some taxpayers may be unable to file their self assessment online for the 2016/17 tax year. Software developers are struggling to keep up with the increasingly complex tax systems.
Experts say the problems have been caused with the new tax free allowances for Dividends and savings and how these interact with the zero rate savings band.
This has become such a big issue that HMRC has updated it's list of those who can file paper returns…
Experts say the problems have been caused with the new tax free allowances for Dividends and savings and how these interact with the zero rate savings band.
This has become such a big issue that HMRC has updated it's list of those who can file paper returns…
At a crossroads: Choosing technology or outsourcing for your practice
Technology is transforming the way that accounting firms do business. The emergence of cloud-based computing, the growth of mobile, and advances in intelligent data management mean that accounting firms have a new set of tools available that can automate and streamline tasks. Industry leaders expect the shift to mobile and cloud-based accounting to not only continue, but to accelerate, and for good reason. The results are in and technology has come up trumps. More than ever, it is essential that…